Arsenal opening bid for Raphinha has been rejected by Leeds United as it was below valuation. The winger also prefers to join Chelsea or Barcelona according to reports.
The Gunners completed a £34 million deal for Fabio Viera. The midfielder was announced as an Arsenal player yesterday. Mikel Arteta is now looking to follow it up with a move for Raphinha. According to reports, Gunners have submitted a formal offer for Raphinha.
Although, the bid is set to be rejected out of hand by Leeds as it falls well short of their valuation. Arsenal wants to make a team that competes for the top 4 in the Premier League. The ambition of Arsenal in Raphinha bid clearly shows they are ambitious about the project.
ARSENAL-RAPHINHA TRANSFER SAGA FULL STORY
However, Arsenal face strong competition from rival teams as Barcelona, Tottenham, and Chelsea have shown interest in Raphinha. The report also claims that should he decide to remain in the Premier League, the winger would favor a move to Chelsea. Raphinha’s overall preference remains Barcelona with whom he has already agreed personal terms.
But, Barcelona are currently restricted by their finances and are looking to offload players first. Raphinha was Leed’s star performer last season. He played a key part as his 11 goals for the club helped them to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Raphinha, who joined Leeds from Rennes in 2020 still has two years left on his contract.
It is understood that Leeds are holding for a £50m fee for the Brazil international. The winger would have been available for around 30m this summer. If Leeds dropped down to the Championship. Leeds are also still keen to retain the player. However, the player wants to play European football in the upcoming season.
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